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Thread: Cruise company recommendations

  1. #1

    Cruise company recommendations

    Im aware that google is probably a good starter here but quite simply there's too many options.
    The wife and I are planning our 25th wedding anniversary and want to do a Canada/New England cruise which would finish off in NY.
    We would like to tailor the cruise by spending a few days in Quebec pre cruise and 3-4 days in NY afterwards
    Can anyone recommend a cruise company that they've used please- also appreciate any tips etc you'd have regarding the cruise
    Cheers
    FFF

  2. #2
    Craftsman
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    We've used Azamara & Holland America in the past. Azamara are high end and you pay for it - but brilliant nonetheless. Holland America are cheaper (but not cheap) and still an utterly excellent experience.

    Avoid P&O at all costs.

    Also, I don't think paying extra for a cabin with a window over an inside cabin is worth the money. It's balcony or nothing but you generally pay through the nose for it. Think about how much time you will actually spend in your cabin whilst not sleeping or in the shower.

  3. #3
    Master blackal's Avatar
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    Go on - what was wrong with P&O..........

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by blackal View Post
    Go on - what was wrong with P&O..........
    It was a bit like a floating Butlins and the ship was in a pretty tired state. But, in P&O's defence, they are relatively cheap so maybe I'm being a little harsh.

  5. #5
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    Really depends on how much you want to spend, and if fully inclusive is your thing and size of ship. We personally have always cruised with Regent Seven Seas, but are trying Oceania this year as its cheaper but from the same group of companies. Try cruise critic for reviews and forums

  6. #6
    i done a alaska to vancouver cruise with holland america couldnt fault it , but it wasnt cheap but well worth it.


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  7. #7
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    Went with Cunard last time, loved it, nothing was to much trouble and they dont pack the passengers in as tight as some!! ii P&O

    Scottie

  8. #8
    Used royal Caribbean and Norwegian and celebrity - cant fault them - what i liked about Norwegian is no formal dressing up days ever and you can eat whenver you want (no set dining time)

  9. #9
    Grand Master Chris_in_the_UK's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MarkJS View Post
    Avoid P&O at all costs.
    I would say this is unnecessarily harsh TBH - bad experiences with Holland America and Celebrity X in the past - less so with P&O.

    It's as much destination dependant as it is budget dependant.
    Last edited by Chris_in_the_UK; 16th January 2019 at 12:07.
    When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Xantiagib View Post
    Used royal Caribbean and Norwegian and celebrity - cant fault them - what i liked about Norwegian is no formal dressing up days ever and you can eat whenver you want (no set dining time)
    Weirdly enough I like the dressing up, probably because as an Engineer i dont get to do it very often :-)

    Scottie

  11. #11
    Master MakeColdplayHistory's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by scottie2345 View Post
    Weirdly enough I like the dressing up, probably because as an Engineer i dont get to do it very often :-)
    Scottie
    Oh come now, you often get to wear that rather fetching red uniform...

  12. #12
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    If you wanted something NON American , Star Clipper is excellent... not cheap, but reasonable for what you get !

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by scottie2345 View Post
    Weirdly enough I like the dressing up, probably because as an Engineer i dont get to do it very often :-)

    Scottie
    whatever floats your boat! - you still can of course many people do - its just that its compulsory on some cruise nights and not at all on Norwegian - you won't feel left out as many dress up all day every day

  14. #14
    Master ingenioren's Avatar
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    Very much depends on budget - not our thing (especially not 3500 passengers + 1500 crew !) but after talking with ''friends who do'' - in case we do one day,
    Dream Cruises, Seabourn or Silver Seas ( roughly abt 1500 crew / 700 passengers ) -- heard nothing but top stuff


    Good luck
    Cheers, Peter

  15. #15
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    Royal Navy, every time there was a fight they took me there.

    Sometimes they even bought me back. It's good fun when you call them boats and they get all upset

    Graham

  16. #16
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    We always use Celebrity great value for money and kids are sparse. If you want a bit more, then go Sliverseas.

  17. #17
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    I've been on a few Seaborne cruises which were really excellent service and facilities. Not sure if they sail the route you are looking at though.

  18. #18
    Craftsman PJdB's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MarkJS View Post
    It was a bit like a floating Butlins and the ship was in a pretty tired state. But, in P&O's defence, they are relatively cheap so maybe I'm being a little harsh.
    Which ship was you on?

    I have been on the Azura and I found it to be a pretty good, - the customer service was pretty good too. And yes, it was cheap. 15 nights, Caribbean, £800

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris_in_the_UK View Post
    I would say this is unnecessarily harsh TBH - bad experiences with Holland America and Celebrity X in the past - less so with P&O.

    It's as much destination dependant as it is budget dependant.
    I'd agree with that Chris i've done 3 caribbean cruises with P&O inc 3 week trans - atlantic, for the money i don't think you can go wrong.

  20. #20
    Thanks for all the recommendations.
    I've gone through them all and struggled to find one which went to several places we had on our wish list. In the end we've booked with Imagine Cruises which are actually based in our home town. They adapted the holiday to add 3 days in NY after staying somewhere in Manhattan at a reasonable price.
    Thanks all

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by PJdB View Post
    Which ship was you on?

    I have been on the Azura and I found it to be a pretty good, - the customer service was pretty good too. And yes, it was cheap. 15 nights, Caribbean, £800
    The ship was Oceana. There were holes punched in walls, frayed & stained carpets and damaged Melamine chipboard furniture in our cabin which would ‘click’ your clothes if you weren’t careful. All fairly easy to sort out but P&O obviously couldn’t be bothered. That particular holiday was topped off with an outbreak of Norovirus (but I wouldn’t necessarily blame that on P&O)!

    Upon reflection, I don’t think I am being too harsh towards P&O as already said by someone else and they were not a patch on cruises with other operators (but I appreciate these weren't all at the same price point).

    Someone in an earlier post also mentioned being put off with being on a ship with over 1000 passengers & hundreds of staff. This was one of my main reservations about doing a cruise before being talked into it. I can assure you that you’d never know there were that many people on board. It’s very, very relaxed and beats being in a hotel at a popular destination during the peak summer months.

  22. #22
    Craftsman PJdB's Avatar
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    That's a real shame. P&O have definitely gone downhill compared to how they used to be in years gone by. Maybe they are appealing to a different market now. The outbreak of that virus would have had the crew working twice as hard which no doubt must have affected the customer service levels.

    I agree with you about the comparison to other ships, but as you say, you get what you pay for. As I say, I found the azura to be lovely and friends have said good things about the Britania.

    Weird thing about the P&O cruises that I have done is that they are full of northerners? Do P&O advertise more heavily up there or something?

  23. #23
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    As a general rule you get what you pay for in cruises.

    Seabourn for instance could easily cost 3 to 4 times more than P&O for the same route / duration so you would expect that to be reflected in the general "offer".

    Within say P&O itself you have a fleet of different size and age ships. Oceana is one of the smallest and oldest ships (built 1998) in their fleet, so whilst they do have a rolling refurbishment / re-fit program, it is never comprehensive enough to be able to compete with one of their newer ships and will again be reflected in how P&O price each ship. I went on Azura when it was new in 2008 and whilst it was perfectly acceptable, it didn't feel as fresh when I went on it again in 2018.

    Personal taste plays a big role too. The demographic on Cunard is VERY different to Royal Caribbean and some ships within a fleet might be aimed at the family market and others adult only. Britannia is one of the newest P&O ships - I haven't been on that one yet but for every person that has told me they think it's lovely, somebody else has said they don't like it!

    My own take on P&O is they are an average, well priced cruise line. They do everything OK and offer good value for money. RC are better at the whole kids entertainment thing and seem to have cheerier staff, Princess feels like a better version of P&O at higher cost and Celebrity the next notch / price up before Azamara, Silver Seas, Seabourn etc.

    It's a trial and error thing and you get to know what you like / works for you by going on a few and comparing. If you are budget constrained then also look carefully at cabin options since you might prefer to have an inside cabin on a higher grade ship than a balcony cabin on a lower grade ship.

    And read reviews on places like cruise critic.

  24. #24
    Master Harry Smith's Avatar
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    We went on an Egypt/Nile/Med 7 day cruise a few years ago to see what all the fuss was about. Masses of food and drink and great service. You have to be a 'cruise type person' as the entertainment wasn't to our taste. It felt like an upmarket Butlins-on-a-boat at times.

  25. #25
    Grand Master Chris_in_the_UK's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Harry Smith View Post
    We went on an Egypt/Nile/Med 7 day cruise a few years ago to see what all the fuss was about. Masses of food and drink and great service. You have to be a 'cruise type person' as the entertainment wasn't to our taste. It felt like an upmarket Butlins-on-a-boat at times.
    To be fair that is not representative of much of what is available in the cruise holiday market.
    When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........

  26. #26
    Master Harry Smith's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris_in_the_UK View Post
    To be fair that is not representative of much of what is available in the cruise holiday market.
    So are Thompson cruises not representative of cruises in general fsr?. I did not say the entertainment was in any way bad but not to our taste. It was mostly based on stage show/Jane McDonald type of stuff with dancing and singing and very professional it was but there wasn't much else on offer apart from a comedian or two.

  27. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by Harry Smith View Post
    So are Thompson cruises not representative of cruises in general fsr?. I did not say the entertainment was in any way bad but not to our taste. It was mostly based on stage show/Jane McDonald type of stuff with dancing and singing and very professional it was but there wasn't much else on offer apart from a comedian or two.
    Thomson cruises aren’t like the other cruise companies at all I wouldn’t say. I wouldn’t use them as a comparison. I’ve done around 30 cruises now and tried most of the companies. I like them for two reasons mainly, the children’s clubs are excellent and it enables me to see places I just wouldn’t normally be able to get to. The Caribbean being the best example. I’ve done nearly ever island now and there’s no way I’d do that under my own steam - I’d never have the time.

    Each company is different though. P&O is fairly British and in recent years become more lower end pricing. That said there’s nothing wrong with it and it’s about the only cruise company that’s flies you direct to the Caribbean (Barbados or St Lucia) and your holiday starts there. Otherwise you fly to Florida, have a night in a hotel and 2 day sail to get to the Caribbean.

    Cunard is more traditional British. More geared towards older guests and more formal.

    Royal Caribbean are more geared to being fun, family type ships with lots of activities. Celebrity a slightly older aged client version of them.

    NCL big in the all inclusive market now with loads of different types of dining.

    Etc etc.

    They all have good and bad points. It’s finding out what works for you.

  28. #28
    All of the entertainment sounds horrendous TBH.

  29. #29
    Grand Master Chris_in_the_UK's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Harry Smith View Post
    So are Thompson cruises not representative of cruises in general fsr?. I did not say the entertainment was in any way bad but not to our taste. It was mostly based on stage show/Jane McDonald type of stuff with dancing and singing and very professional it was but there wasn't much else on offer apart from a comedian or two.
    Having been on a Thomson cruise and many others I would say that they are not typical of what is available. They are a reasonable standard. The standards vary a great deal (Royal Caribbean as an example can do a pretty good show of Cats - West End Standard). I have always found P&O entertainment fairly average but we do not consider the on board entertainment high on the wish list when we go away. Some people are happy to eat from a buffet every meal time, we do not.

    Each to their own - hugely budget dependant TBH. We can fly to the Caribbean for 2 x two week holidays with P&O or Royal Caribbean and have enough left for a decent pool of spending money for the cost of one similar trip on Silversea or Azamara.
    When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........

  30. #30
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    I have lost count of the ocean cruises that we have done and in all honesty think you are better off with a river cruise (admittedly not any good for the OP in this instance) or a specialist tour by a tour operator.

    I am currently touring India in the golden triangle, we have a pre programmed tour to which we added 3 free days. We stay in 5* hotels and have the services of guides in every town we visit and have the full time service of a taxi driver almost 24/7.

    Cruises allow you to spend, on average, a few hours in the places you visit and when you all pile off a boat at the same time, it's like being caught up in the London rush hour. All you see is the surface.

    With a specialist tour, the guide will tell you what's available and the best time to see it. You can spend 10 minutes looking at something or 8 hours, it's all down to what interests you. You get the flexibilty that cruises do not offer.

    Ocean cruises were good but they have now passed their sell by date in my opinion.
    Last edited by Mick P; 19th January 2019 at 12:32.

  31. #31
    Quote Originally Posted by Mick P View Post
    I have lost count of the ocean cruises that we have done and in all honesty think you are better off with a river cruise (admittedly not any good for the OP in this instance) or a specialist tour by a tour operator.

    I am currently touring India in the golden triangle, we have a pre programmed tour to which we added 3 free days. We stay in 5* hotels and have the services of guides in every town we visit and have the full time service of a taxi driver almost 24/7.

    Cruises allow you to spend, on average, a few hours in the places you visit and when you all pile off a boat at the same time, it's like being caught up in the London rush hour. All you see is the surface.

    With a specialist tour, the guide will tell you what's available and the best time to see it. You can spend 10 minutes looking at something or 8 hours, it's all down to what interests you. You get the flexibilty that cruises do not offer.

    Ocean cruises were good but they have now passed their sell by date in my opinion.
    weve chosen now and going through Princess Cruises. Stops several places in Canada, Nova Scotia, Charlottestown, Maine, Boston and New York. Apart from NY each stop off allows 6-8 hrs exploring time before it's time to board again, can't ask much more than that really.

  32. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by Franky Four Fingers View Post
    weve chosen now and going through Princess Cruises. Stops several places in Canada, Nova Scotia, Charlottestown, Maine, Boston and New York. Apart from NY each stop off allows 6-8 hrs exploring time before it's time to board again, can't ask much more than that really.
    The only safe way to know if you are going to like it, is to try it for yourself and see what you think. Everyone else's opinion matters not a jot.

    I am near the end of touring the north of India where I have been studying temples and religion that preach love, peace and harmony and then I come here and wonder where it all went wrong.

    Have a good time.

  33. #33
    Grand Master Chris_in_the_UK's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Franky Four Fingers View Post
    weve chosen now and going through Princess Cruises. Stops several places in Canada, Nova Scotia, Charlottestown, Maine, Boston and New York. Apart from NY each stop off allows 6-8 hrs exploring time before it's time to board again, can't ask much more than that really.
    That will be nice trip FFF - enjoy!.
    When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........

  34. #34
    Quote Originally Posted by Mick P View Post
    The only safe way to know if you are going to like it, is to try it for yourself and see what you think. Everyone else's opinion matters not a jot.

    I am near the end of touring the north of India where I have been studying temples and religion that preach love, peace and harmony and then I come here and wonder where it all went wrong.

    Have a good time.
    Would be interesting to hear further details about your trip sometime!

  35. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kingstepper View Post
    Would be interesting to hear further details about your trip sometime!
    Not a cat in hells chance, it would be sliced to ribbons by the usual mob.

  36. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by Franky Four Fingers View Post
    weve chosen now and going through Princess Cruises. Stops several places in Canada, Nova Scotia, Charlottestown, Maine, Boston and New York. Apart from NY each stop off allows 6-8 hrs exploring time before it's time to board again, can't ask much more than that really.
    Princess are a good cruise company, you’ll like them I’m sure. I’m doing them in November around NZ.

  37. #37
    Quote Originally Posted by Chris_in_the_UK View Post
    That will be nice trip FFF - enjoy!.
    Cheers- only 17 months to wait now....oh well!

  38. #38
    Quote Originally Posted by Devonian View Post
    Princess are a good cruise company, you’ll like them I’m sure. I’m doing them in November around NZ.
    You never know when booking something like this what you're going to get, seeing as we are cruise virgins that's great to hear...thanks!

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